Oleksandr Usyk, boxer
On December 21, Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk defeated Briton Tyson Fury in the "fight of the millennium," as fans of both athletes called it. In the rematch, the Ukrainian defended three championship titles: WBO, WBA, and WBC, and earned the status of the "undisputed" world champion. Usyk dedicated the victory to his mother and "all mothers of Ukraine," and after winning, he brought a 17th-century sabre of Ivan Mazepa into the ring to remind the world of the Cossack hetman who "fought for Ukraine's freedom from Russian invaders three hundred years ago."
Mstyslav Chernov, documentary filmmaker
"I am very grateful. But, perhaps, I will be the first director on this stage to say that I would have never wanted the opportunity to make this film. And I would gladly trade this award for the fact that Russia did not invade Ukraine." These poignant words belong to Mstyslav Chernov, Ukraine's most decorated documentary filmmaker, and he said them on March 11, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles while receiving an Oscar for his film 20 Days in Mariupol.
Together with his fellow reporters Yevhen Malohlyetka and Vasylysa Stepanenko, who were trapped in besieged Mariupol by Russian forces, the 40-year-old Kharkiv native Chernov shot a harrowing documentary about the city's siege that will remain in human history forever. In addition to the Oscar, Chernov's "portfolio" includes a Pulitzer Prize, a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award, and the audience award at the Sundance Festival. But all of them are merely a reason to continue working, documenting this war, so the world does not forget. In January, at the Sundance Film Festival, the premiere of his new documentary 2000 Meters to Andriivka will take place, which tells the story of how Ukrainian forces cross a narrow strip of forested land to liberate the Russian-occupied village of Andriivka near Bakhmut.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh, track and field athlete
Yaroslava Mahuchikh became the first Ukrainian track and field athlete to win two Olympic medals: a bronze at Tokyo 2020 and a gold at Paris 2024. She is also now a social media star thanks to her unique resting technique between jumps. It was a jump of 2.0 meters that helped her become the Olympic champion. This year, she also set a new world record — 2.10 meters.
Reflecting on her Olympic year — filled with injuries, drama, limited rest, countless training hours, and living far from her family — Yaroslava describes it as a grand adventure: "I don't feel physically tired; I could jump and jump some more, but I poured out all my emotions."
Karina Maziar, model.
The young Ukrainian model Karina Maziar will definitely remember 2024 — at the beginning of the year, she became the star of the limited edition cover of Vogue Ukraine Edition 5, with the photoshoot taking place in the walls of the Kyiv Military Lyceum named after Ivan Bohun, alongside cadets. In September, she made a powerful debut on international runways — opening the Versace Spring-Summer 2025 show, as well as walking for Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, and Loewe.
Olha Kharlan, fencer
Olha Kharlan brought Ukraine its first medal at the Paris Summer Olympics: she won a bronze medal in women's sabre fencing. In the match, Olha defeated Choi Sibeen from the Republic of Korea with a score of 15-14. She dedicated this victory to all Ukrainians, defenders, and the athletes who have died due to Russian aggression.
Kharlan is known for her principled stance: she refused to shake hands with Russian athletes, despite the usual protocol. At the Fencing World Championship in Milan in July of this year, she declined to "greet" Anna Smirnova, a "neutral" athlete from Russia, with a handshake after her victory. The Russian fencer contested this action, and Kharlan was initially disqualified. However, after global backlash, the International Fencing Federation overturned the disqualification. Kharlan was allowed to compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where athletes were permitted not to shake hands with their opponents.
Vasylisa Stepanenko, journalist
"I really love people and want to be close to them. War is a tragedy, but I am fortunate to have a job that helps," says 25-year-old Vasylisa Stepanenko, a journalist for the Associated Press, Pulitzer Prize winner, Shevchenko Prize laureate, and producer of the documentary "20 Days in Mariupol," which won an Oscar in 2024.
As part of the Associated Press team, along with journalists Mstyslav Chernov and Yevhen Malolietka, Vasylisa was one of the few international journalists working during the siege of Mariupol, documenting the Russian bombing of a maternity hospital, mass graves, and civilian deaths. After enduring this traumatic experience, Vasylisa continues to report, producing video reports for the Associated Press on the war in Ukraine.
Today, Stepanenko is one of the most decorated journalists in the world. After receiving the Pulitzer, she won the Royal Television Society 2023 award in the "Young Talent of the Year" category and the Livingston Awards, known as the "Pulitzer for youth," in the summer. She was honored for her investigative journalism over the past year, including stories on torture in Izium, those who passed through filtration camps, and civilians returning from Russian captivity. In New York, the jury recognized the humanity and poignant power of her reports.
Ivan Uryvskyi, theatrical director
The fame of his most notable productions has already spread beyond Ukraine’s borders: this year, Uryvskyi represented Ukraine at the world’s most prestigious theater festival in Avignon with the play "Caligula," based on the eponymous work by Camus. In an extensive review for the publication sceneweb.fr, French journalist Christophe Candoni writes that in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, this story about a tyrant, brilliantly performed by young actors, appears especially "piercing and dangerous" — a clear message to the world. Meanwhile, the director's major hit, the production "The Witch of Konotop" based on the play by Kvitka-Osnovianenko, is confidently making its way across the globe: in January 2025, the large European tour of the play will begin, with performances in Berlin, Geneva, Prague, Paris, and other cities in Europe.
"For me, the most important thing is that Ukrainian theater is of high quality and interesting, that we are discovered worldwide. And it’s a true pleasure to see your actors at the world’s leading theater festival bowing to the audience with the Ukrainian flag after a performance," says the country’s most renowned theater director, Ivan Uryvskyi.
Oksana Karpovych, documentary filmmaker
34-year-old Oksana Karpovych is a Ukrainian-Canadian director, writer, and photographer. She divides her time between Kyiv and Montreal. At the start of the invasion, she returned to Ukraine to continue working on her feature film, but the war had other plans: working as a fixer for international media, Oksana overheard intercepted conversations between Russian troops and their families — and that’s when the idea for the film "Peaceful People" was born, which has since become one of the most talked-about Ukrainian films of the year.
"Intercepted" is a film built around intercepted conversations of Russian troops with their loved ones, and at the same time, an unconventional road movie through de-occupied Ukrainian territories, showing the destruction caused by the full-scale Russian invasion. At this year’s Berlin Film Festival, the film received a special mention from the Ecumenical Jury in the Forum section and a special mention from the Amnesty International Jury; it won "Best Documentary Film" at the Krakow Film Festival and received recognition as "Best Documentary Film" at the Hong Kong Film Festival. The film, which has stunned international audiences with its raw honesty, makes it clear that the Russia-Ukraine war is not "Putin’s war," but a war in which hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens are involved, as evidenced by the conversations captured in SBU’s intercepted audio recordings. The film has caused a significant international stir and has already been viewed in Ireland, France, the U.S., Canada, and Argentina.
Lilia Litkovska, designer, founder of the Litkovska brand
In 2024, Lilia Litkovska not only opened a new space in Kyiv, LITKOVSKA BASECAMP, located in the heart of the city at 21 Lyuterska Street, but also launched several impactful international projects. In April, the LITKOVSKA brand unveiled its own installation at the Dover Street Market Ginza concept store in Tokyo. The installation aimed to attract the attention of Japanese fashion enthusiasts to explore Ukrainian traditions and contemporary culture more deeply. In September, the designer collaborated with British artist and founder of SHOWstudio, Nick Knight, to create a capsule collection in support of Ukrainian children. The LITKOVSKA x Nick Knight collaboration was initiated by the international humanitarian organization Be an Angel. Items from this collaboration will be available for sale starting in February 2025, with all proceeds directed towards supporting the project to assist Ukrainian children.
Kateryna Sadurska, athlete
Kateryna Sadurska has set seven world records in freediving and has become a six-time world champion. She is the first woman in the world to reach a depth of 84 meters in the Constant Weight Without Fins (CNF) discipline, setting an absolute world record. Her victorious journey began in July 2023, when she first set a world record by diving to 74 meters. Within a year and a half, she improved her own record by ten meters — on December 2, 2024, Sadurska made history once again.
Kateryna actively promotes freediving and has become an important symbol of Ukraine’s support on the international stage during the war. "These competitions are more than just sport. They are an opportunity for me to represent Ukraine and show the world that we are ready for the fight and victories, but we need support," the athlete shared after setting her latest world record.
